Attached is a copy of an email sent to the Chief Minister ACT, Andrew Barr, raising concerns the UFU has about the revamped Emergency Services Agency website and its depiction of firefighters, in particular regarding the Real Time Reporting of Worker Activity. Email-to-Chief-Minister-re-ESA-website-and-reporting-of-data-5-June-2019Download … [Read more...]
Signal 7 of 12 June 2019 – A positive budget for firefighters
This edition of Signal 7 sees the UFU welcome some positive initiatives coming out of the 2019/20 ACT Budget, including a commitment to run two colleges of 18 firefighters in the financial year, and to allocate funds to City and Molonglo fire stations. A briefing note on the budget prepared by Emeritus Professor David Hayward, Professor of Social Economy and Public Policy … [Read more...]
ACT on Fire: A modern fire service for ACT
The key issues for ACT Fire and Rescue firefighters in their next enterprise bargaining agreement are: Keep the pay rise, invest in safetyRecruit to address the firefighter shortage and address excessive overtime Implement a modern training regime Implement a firefighter wellbeing initiativeEnsure fire stations meet modern safety standardsOnly use firefighters' images in … [Read more...]
New $2.2m ‘Bronto’ to come on line
The aging and breakdown-prone Bronto, "the ACT's only specialised aerial firefighting unit" will be replaced with e new $2.2 million vehicle, according to a report in The Canberra Times of 8 May 2019. The government has also confirmed it had "signed off on a new $2 million pumper." In response to both announcements, UFU ACT Secretary, Greg McConville, said, "It's a welcome … [Read more...]
Good news for firefighters in ACT Budget
Canberra's firefighting capacity is set to expand in next week's ACT Budget according to this report in The Canberra Times of 31 May 2019. The budget is set to provide funds for the "preliminary design and preparations for two new shared fire and ambulance stations, one in the Molonglo Valley and another in the city", recruiting 36 new firefighters, and "$2.2 million on a … [Read more...]